COVID-19: Why Kano’s deportation of Almajiris is dangerous

The Kano State Government said it has completed plans to evacuate Almajiris from the eight local government areas that make up the metropolis back to their states. This decision followed an upsurge in confirmed cases of COVID-19, which currently stands at 59 as at April 21.

Kano State Commissioner for Local Governments Affairs, Murtala Sule Garo, who disclosed this at the presentation of report by the various COVID-19 committees set up in the state to tackle the pandemic, said “of the identified numbers of Almajiris, 79,411 are indigenes of the state while 178,472 are non-indigenes.

But this move by the Kano State Government in deporting Almajiris to their home states at this point in time is worrisome giving the far reaching implication.

Many have argued that the move is tantamount to spreading the virus to many communities across the country.

Already, there are concerns about issues of community transmission of the disease, thus, deporting Almajiris from Kano to other states portend grave danger.

For instance, how safe would it be for hundreds of Almajiris to cram in a truck to be transported to their states of origins at this time?

There is every tendency of rapid transmission of the disease amongst them under such condition if any of the occupants is already infected.

No doubt, we have a big problem at hand and governors in the North must rise to the occasion in tacking the pandemic head-on.

Muktar Dahiru writes from Kano